"Knife Rights is the Second Front in Defense of the Second Amendment. They are the premier grassroots organization protecting our right to own knives. Those who love freedom need Knife Rights, so please join me in supporting their mission."

-- Wayne LaPierre, Exec. VP & CEO, NRA

"Whether in town or on a hunt, a knife earns its place at my side as an essential tool. I am a knife user and proud to be one."

Knife Rights News Slice Vol. 2 Number 18 (08/29/2009)

We are still over a week away from Congress returning from recess, but weâ€™ve been receiving an increasing number of emails, so an update seems to be in order. While Congress has been home being beat up in Town Halls and the like, Knife Rights has been diligently lobbying key Congressional staff and conferring with our coalition partners, as we indicated weâ€™d be doing in our last News Slice email, "Customs Officially Backs Off." This effort is ongoing and we will continue towards the final push when Congress returns to get the Amendment to the Switchblade Act that was passed in the Senate retained in the final Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.

Our meetings with staff have been productive and encouraging. I believe we have been successful at conveying the critical importance of this legislation to the millions of knife owners, their constituents and voters (YOU!), which we represent. We have also been encouraging the Administration (meaning Customs) to communicate their support for this amendment directly to the House Conference Committee leadership. Our meeting with staff of Senator Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a key player in this battle, gave us a good deal of encouragement that the Senate leadership of the committee is solidly behind keeping this amendment in the final bill. I'd like to especially thank Knife Rights Knifemaker member Ken Onion for his help with Senator Inouye's office. Personal relationships are always a critical part of legislative solutions and this is but one example where that has helped get us to this point.

I have received numerous emails asking if it's time to write letters to House members and in our opinion, and that of most of our coalition partners, it is not yet the right moment to do so. It isn't yet clear that inundating House or Conference Committee members with letters will be helpful and the timing certainly isn't yet optimum for a letter writing/emailing campaign, even if that is required. Congress isnâ€™t even back from recess until Sept. 8th. Congress needs to get back to work and actually schedule a date for the Conference Committee to meet before we should make that effort. Timing is critical and we do best to keep our edges sharp, but wait to use that edge to best advantage. If and when we need you to write, we will let you know, along with providing model letters.

As the return of Congress approaches, we'll be starting up again the regular telephone conferences with our coalition partners that we originally initiated in an effort to streamline and coordinate lobbying efforts and develop strategy, a crucial effort that helped to get us this far. Knife Rights is proud to have provided the leadership in developing this cooperative approach; encouraging collaboration and partnership in this fight for our rights.

We will be in touch as soon as anything critical occurs or if we need your assistance in writing your Members of Congress. Things wonâ€™t really start popping until Congress returns. Follow Knife Rights on Twitter and receive the latest updates and notices as soon as they occur: http://twitter.com/KnifeRights

Pete Brownell Joins Knife Rights Board

Knife Rights is pleased to announce that Pete Brownell has joined the Knife Rights Board of Directors. Pete is President of Brownells, Inc., the "world's largest supplier of firearm accessories, gun parts and gunsmithing tools." Pete has been a supporter of Knife Rights since early on as a Cornerstone Charter Member. Brownells is a Cornerstone Corporate Charter Member.

In accepting the position as a Director, Pete noted, "in the firearms industry and as a gun owner I have battled for decades over issues that knife owners and the knife industry are now facing. I am honored to put my experience to use in support of Knife Rights and to serve its grassroots knife owner members."

Chairman of Knife Rights, Doug Ritter, explained, "the ongoing fight over Customs Pocket Knife Grab has validated our original concept of Knife Rights as the grassroots knife ownersâ€™ organization. Pete Bownell brings to Knife Rights a lifetime of involvement and connections in support of Second Amendment issues and organizations as well as his success in operating and growing a successful business. Peteâ€™s knowledge and commitment will be a huge asset as we grow Knife Rights to expand our services to our grassroots supporters, Americaâ€™s knife owners."

More:

If you are attending Blade Show West in Portland, OR, Sept. 11-13, please stop by the Knife Rights booth. We look forward to meeting you in person and we'll have a limited amount of Knife Rights merchandise for sale, which supports this fight against Customs. We'll also be happy to accept your membership renewal or contribution, or sign you up if you aren't yet a member.

I have been invited to give a speech on Knife Rights at the annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (Sept. 25-27 in St. Louis, MO), sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizenâ€™s Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Alan Gottlieb, Chairman of SAF and CCRKBA, has been a staunch supporter of Knife Rights, particularly in this battle with Customs. Citizens Committee provided major financial support and email alerts to its 650,000 members and supporters nationwide.

My speech at GRPC is recognition that it is our Second Amendment too. Knife Rights bases its defense of our right to own and carry the knives of our choice on two principles, "Essential Rights," enshrined in the Second Amendment, and "Essential Tools," evidenced by the millions of Americans who use knives daily at home, work and recreation. Our success so far in this fight with Customs has been due in large part to the partnerships forged with Second Amendment focused groups like CCRKBA, SAF and the NRA.

KnifeRights.org serves as the web site for both 501(c)(4) Knife Rights, Inc. and 501(c)(3) Knife Rights Foundation, Inc. The advocacy portions of KnifeRights.org are the sole responsibility of Knife Rights, Inc.